Key to the Void: A self-made isekai

“The back of the eye socket has bone though, that’s the problem if the bones are the tough part. I think we should make it turn into roots once it’s in there, it can follow the optic nerve.” Rolwen said as they were going through their theories.

They had been going over several different ideas on scenarios that might come up and how they could feasibly achieve the goal of directly attacking the gnome’s brain since it seemed their bones were so darn tough.

They had ultimately arrived at the conclusion it would not be something that they could use in combat after all. Rather, this would be something they would have to use on a sneak attack. There’s a chance they might see an opportunity to use this during combat out here, but the far more likely scenario would be to use this method after they were captured. It would be a method for them to kill their captors during their escape.

To this end, they had both theory-crafted a rather elaborate design for their living wood weapons to take, all to achieve a single end. Escaping from those rock hand-cuffs the gnomes use.

Both of them now had their wooden weapons split in two, running a cord-like vine through the backs of their shirts to attach to both arms. The weapon now took the form of two wrist-bands instead of one, and they were now far more bulky as well taking the form of gauntlets that extended up most of their forearms.

For some extra bulk, the wooden wrist-guards were covered in sleeves of soft bark with a texture that could almost imitate cotton, as though they were just overly long sleeves.

All of this just to have something that looks convincing enough to avoid suspicion, so it can then give them some slack to squeeze their hands out of the rock cuffs when the time arrived.

Their practice and planning was interrupted though when Tia suddenly stood up with a dark and serious look on her face.

“Tia?” Levin asked. Meanwhile, Rolwen stood at the ready with all his senses on high alert, darting his eyes outside repeatedly as he was paying half his attention to Tia and half to look for whatever seemed to have her agitated.

“It’s Asaren.” She said. “Something has her upset. It’s not for herself though… the gnomes are doing something, and she seems to think it’s a huge threat to us.”

Rolwen looks a little uncertain as to how to process this information. Somehow, it makes him look a lot closer to his physical age rather than like the soldier in a child’s body he has been up until now. “So… what does that mean we should do? Should we move? Or…” He trails off.

“She’s about to do something.” Tia said. “She… she knows where we are… I don’t think she knows I can read her. She’s going to…”

Suddenly, there was a very loud sound of groaning wood, and a few loud pops that they’d come to recognize as the sound Asaren’s trees make when they launch their projectile seed-pods. A short time later, there was a loud crash nearby, followed by sounds of falling rubble and collapse in a house that should be right next to them. The destruction partially spread to the building they were in, the house made from mud-bricks shook and swayed dangerously. Cracks spider-webbed through the walls and roof, and dust and small chunks of the structure fell to the ground.

Levin turned and looked Rolwen straight in the eye.

“Yeah, I think we should move.” He said.

Rolwen nodded, and gestured toward the back of the building. There was only one entrance to this building, but that just there was a very definite signal that the enemy knew where they were. That meant there could already be eyes on this place, and leaving through the front would be a mistake.

Rolwen looked around the wall, and eventually found an area that had become particularly unsound structurally after Asa’s rather alarming wake-up call. A root was even growing through the wall now, widening the cracks.

“We’re going to have to move quickly and as secretly as possible. Tia, take the lead, pick a direction, and just go. We’ll keep up. We probably stayed stationary way too long. We’re going to have to stay on the move from now on.” Rolwen said. After this, he held up three fingers, then counted down silently to two and then one, and then gestured Tia at the wall.

She nodded, and then simply jumped through the solid wall, and burst through it like it was made of paper. Rolwen covered his face with his elbow and followed closely behind, and then Levin was left following Rolwen’s lead.

They burst out into what remained of the building immediately adjacent to the one they were hiding in. Now, it was collapsed rubble surrounded by one of Asa’s trees, which was growing somewhat rapidly.

There were stones covered in moss and grass which were formerly the roof of this building. The grass that had once been on the roof was made from the same seed as this tree, and it seemed it’s presence was invigorating it. The grass was growing rapidly and weaving together to meet the tree even as they ran past. Soon, it would incorporate itself into the structure in order to help the main plant grow faster.

There were several more pop sounds from the tree Asa was in. That thing had grown way larger in the time they’d been hunkered down, now towering far above the wall.

Less than a second later, there was an awful crashing sound coming from other parts of the wall. The sounds were loud enough that it easily covered the sounds of their retreating footsteps.

She’s giving them every cover available.

“Fuck! That’s right! They’ve got a spotter!” Rolwen suddenly shouts.

“Huh?” Levin asks, but the horrible crashing sound and the following sounds of an avalanche cause his words to be lost, and quickly forgotten as they keep running down the streets.

A spotter? What is he talking about? Wait! Is Asa not attacking the walls just for the sound? That’s right! The walls have had those red lights in them the entire time! Those are look-outs! The enemy has someone watching them from a high position just like Asa is. She’s trying to disrupt their spotters so they can’t inform the enemy of their position!

Well, this is both good and bad at the same time. It’s good because that means the enemy they might be encountering will be fewer in number, but it’s bad because their position is going to be known at just about all times unless Asa can keep them off their backs.

A dark part of him couldn’t help but be satisfied in that moment though. It was enjoying the fact that Rolwen had just shown a failure in his situational awareness. This dark part of him was quickly kicked in the pants by his rational side though. This lapse in attention meant they were in some serious shit right now.

***

Chunks were blown off the crystal walls as they were struck with wooden projectiles. A cascade of both crystals and spent wooden projectiles alike fell into the small body of water that the Academy ship was trapped in, kicking up rough waters that tossed the vessel about.

Greysen grit his teeth and held onto the railing, desperate to keep himself from getting tossed overboard. In all his life, he had never dreamed he would be witness to a fight between such powerful spirit entities. The dark gnomes, which captured some of the power of the spirits of earth which were used in the dark ritual of their birth, and the elves who were born from the Hidan spirits of death and rebirth in the forest.

Each of them were half-spirit entities, capable of using a mere fraction of the power available to true spirits. This is what was taught in the academy. However, for half-spirit entities, this just seemed too strong. Way too strong. If this was what a half-spirit could do, what was a true spirit capable of?

The magic they learned was supposed to imitate the magic of the spirits. Seeing this, he knew for certain that they were nowhere even close to the real thing.

At the rate things were going, this vessel would certainly be destroyed in these rough waters. Something had to be done, and there was only one person aboard this vessel who could possibly do it.

Greysen looked to the elven man who had decided to stay with them after speaking with that young elven girl, the one who was apparently the person the gnomes were targeting. She’d asked him to stay behind, it seemed. If elves were truly strong enough to work magics like the ones he was seeing, then surely this man ought to be able to do something about these rough waters.

He staggered his way over to the elven man who seemed to have somehow fused one of his hands to the wood of the mast in order to stabilize himself. A sudden tilting of the boat caused him to loose his balance, sending him tumbling into the elven man, forcing him to hug the man’s shoulders just to avoid hitting the deck.

Greysen pulled himself back to standing, now realizing that he had his hands on the elf who should have the same terrible power he’d witnessed being unleashed in order to fight the gnomes, and paled. However, even as he wished he could simply let go of the man and stand in a more dignified way, the rough tilting of the boat would only send him tumbling into some other inopportune object in seconds if he were to do so. He was, therefore, equally unwilling to do that.

Caught between these two unfavorable options, he decided to simply beg as he’d originally planned as he came over here.

{Please! You have to do something!} He pleaded, but then realized he was talking to an elf. He couldn’t use the language of the plains. He had to use the fey language, but with all the fear running through his mind, it was very difficult to remember the lessons he had been taught back at the academy.

{And what exactly would you have me do?} The elven man asked in perfect human language, shocking Greysen in pleasant surprise.

{I… I don’t know!} Greysen stammered. {Aren’t you an elf?! Can’t you do… something like that?!} He asked, gesturing toward the land which had been covered in tall grass where there had been none hours ago, and the large wooden dome that now covered the temple and the large towering tree that now stood over the even the wall of crystal that the gnomes had erected.

The elf merely scowled at the two largest examples among those he was indicated, and then looked back at him.

{Those are only possible because of the enhanced plant spirits that Asaren was able to bring in with us. It is not something that would normally be possible. There are no such natural nature spirits out on this closed-off section of river. Just as the gnomes cannot work their magic out here, neither can I. The only powerful nature spirit out here is the one in my living weapon, and that is not enough to do anything for your boat.} The elf answered.

Greysen was stunned as the weight and revelation of what was just said struck his mind. At first, it was just the despair that the salvation he was hoping for would not be granted. But then, the rest of it started to catch up with him. Nature spirits. That was how the elves were able to work powerful magics like this. Of course. It was because they were not acting alone. But then, what did that mean of the gnomes who were matching up blow for blow with this power that combined the efforts of several nature spirits?

{Greysen! What are you doing?!} Before Greysen could finish his thoughts, a powerful voice rang out from behind him, and he was violently ripped off from his hold on the elven man, and then flung painfully onto the deck.

As he lay sprawled on the deck, he turned to see his master, Lord Arden, speaking to the elven man as he clung tightly to one of the ropes which held the sails on the mast.

[Sir Eirlathion. I am deeply sorry a member of my group has bothered you. Please think nothing of the actions of that man. I will deal with him later after this is all done.] His master said, showing all the respect and deference in the world to the elf.

It was then that his master’s earlier words caught up to him. When this elven man first came aboard this ship, they were all told to show the man every possible respect as he might be their only means of making peace with the Hidan once all of this is over.

Greysen could feel nothing but regret at his actions, but he could not blame himself. Who would have time to think about what happens after when they were in the middle of a catastrophe such as this?